The article discusses how different small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in collaborative networks have varying levels of collaboration maturity. It introduces key process areas that should be assessed using established methods to improve collaboration. The study analyzes the CMMI process areas to see if they are suitable for collaborative networked organizations (CNOs) and how they may need to be adapted. For dynamic virtual organizations, most CMMI process areas can be applied, while for long-term networks like Virtual Breeding Environments, each process area must be evaluated individually. The COIN project aims to define a Capability Maturity Model for CNOs to address these challenges.